d next time he is found
idling. Enough, follow me!"

With a stately step the amiable Moor passed on. With a much more
stately port Peter the Great followed him, but as he did so he bestowed
on Foster a momentary look so ineffably sly, yet solemn, that the latter
was obliged to seize the spade and dig like a very sexton in order to
check his tendency to laugh aloud.

Half an hour later the negro returned to him.

"What you bin do all dis time?" he asked in surprise. "I was more'n
half t'ink you desarve a lickin'!"

"Perhaps I do, Peter," answered the young slave, in a tone so hearty and
cheerful that the negro's great eyes increased considerably in size.

"Well, Geo'ge," he said, with a sudden change in his expression, "I
wouldn't hab expeck it ob you; no, I wouldn't, if my own mudder was to
tell me! To t'ink dat one so young, too, would go on de sly to de
rum-bottle! But where you kin find 'im's more'n I kin tell."

"I have not been at the rum-bottle at all," returned the middy, resting
on his spade, "but I have had something to raise my spirits and brace my
energies, and take me out of myself. Come, let us go to the bower, and
I will explain--that is, if we may safely go there."

"Go whar?"

"To the bower."

"Do you know, sar," replied Peter, drawing himself up and expanding his
great chest--"do you know, sar, dat I's kimmander-in-chief ob de army in
dis yar gardin, an' kin order 'em about whar I please, an' do what I
like? Go up to de bower, you small Bri'sh officer, an' look sharp if
you don't want a whackin'!"

The slave obeyed with alacrity, and when the two were seated he
described his recent interview with Hester Sommers.

No words can do full justice to the varied expressions that flitted
across the negro's face as the midshipman's narrative went on.

"So," he said slowly, when it was concluded, "you's bin an' had a long
privit convissation wid one ob Ben-Ahmed's ladies! My! you know what
dat means if it found out?"

"Well, Miss Sommers herself was good enough to tell me that it would
probably mean flogging to death."

"_Floggin'_ to deaf!" echoed Peter. "P'r'aps so wid massa, for he's a
kind man; but wid most any oder man it 'ud mean roastin' alibe ober a
slow fire! Geo'ge, you's little better'n a dead man!"

"I hope it's not so bad as that, for no one knows about it except the
lady and yourself."

"Das so; an' you're in luck, let me tell you. Now you go to work, an'
I'll retire